A recent poll and study suggest that most South African air travelers are unwilling to pay additional green fees to offset their carbon emissions.
A Travel News poll revealed that 90% of respondents believed South African air passengers would not voluntarily contribute to green fees.
Additionally, a study titled Environmental Consciousness and Air Travel Behaviour: Perspectives from Domestic Air Travellers in South Africa surveyed 394 air travelers via social media to examine how environmental awareness influences airline choices.
The findings showed that while all respondents agreed airlines should take steps to reduce their environmental impact, 41.9% opposed paying extra to offset emissions. Only 31.5% supported green fees, while 23.6% remained neutral.
The study also highlighted that South African air travelers believe the airline industry, not passengers, should bear the costs of climate change mitigation.
The Pricing Dilemma
Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer of FlySafair, attributes this reluctance to financial concerns.
“South African consumers are not inclined to voluntarily pay more for an existing service and, per the study, seem to think that the airlines should absorb the costs,” Gordon explained.
However, he noted that airline profit margins are often too tight to cover additional expenses without passing them on to travelers.
Green fees—used to support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and carbon offset initiatives—are already implemented in several global markets. However, they have yet to gain traction in South Africa, where budget-conscious travelers remain hesitant.
Gordon cautions that if environmental charges become mandatory through taxation, travelers will ultimately bear the cost—either as a separate green fee or embedded in ticket prices.
